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Who Was Meshullam?

The name Meshullam is one of the most frequently occurring names in the genealogical registers of Scripture, translating to mean “devoted,” “peaceable,” or “repaid.” True to the meaning of their shared name, multiple individuals bearing this name stood as frontline defenders, priests, advisors, and builders during critical moments in Israel’s history—most notably during the post-exilic restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah.

To fulfill the explicit mandate to include every single individual bearing this name, we examine all distinct figures recorded under the name Meshullam within the scriptural ledger.

(The Complete Ledger)

EntryIndividual IdentificationScripture ReferenceHistorical / Tribal Context
1Grandfather of Shaphan2 Kings 22:3An ancestor of the trusted royal scribe who served under King Josiah during the temple restoration.
2Son of Zerubbabel1 Chronicles 3:19A royal prince of the house of David, born to the governor who led the first return from Babylon.
3A Chieftain of Gad1 Chronicles 5:13A prominent leader registered in Bashan during the ancestral genealogies of the transjordanic tribes.
4Son of Elpaal (Benjamin)1 Chronicles 8:17A chief head of a father’s house within the tribe of Benjamin, listed among those dwelling in Jerusalem.
5Father of Sallu (Benjamin)1 Chronicles 9:7 / Neh 11:7A Benjamite patriarch whose son became a leading administrator in the repopulated city of Jerusalem.
6Son of Shephathiah (Benjamin)1 Chronicles 9:8Another distinct Benjamite patriarch preserved in the pre-exilic registers of Jerusalem’s inhabitants.
7Father of Hilkiah (High Priest)1 Chronicles 9:11 / Neh 11:11A priest of the line of Zadok; his son Hilkiah famously found the lost Book of the Law in the temple. (Also called Shallum).
8Son of Meshillemith (Priest)1 Chronicles 9:12An ancestral priest of the family of Immer, whose line returned to re-establish the sanctuary service.
9A Kohathite Overseer2 Chronicles 34:12A Levite appointed as an administrative overseer to manage the workers repairing the physical breaches of the temple under Josiah.
10The Envoy of EzraEzra 8:16A chief man dispatched by Ezra to the place Iddo to recruit Levites and ministers for the house of God.
11The Assembly CounselorEzra 10:15An individual involved in the national deliberations regarding the handling and sorting out of foreign marriages.
12Son of Bani (The Transgressor)Ezra 10:29One of the returning captives who had taken a foreign wife but complied with the mandate to put her away.
13Son of Berechiah (Wall Builder)Nehemiah 3:4, 3:30Built two sections of the wall; his household faced internal security trials because his daughter married the son of Tobiah the Ammonite.
14Son of Besodeiah (Gate Builder)Nehemiah 3:6A dedicated builder who worked alongside Jehoiada to physically restore and set the bars of the Old Gate.
15The Platform WitnessNehemiah 8:4A prominent leader who stood directly on Ezra’s left hand to validate and witness the public reading of the Law.
16Priest, Covenant SealerNehemiah 10:7A leading priest who set his formal seal to the binding written covenant to walk in God’s law.
17Chief of the People, SealerNehemiah 10:20A civil leader among the head princes who also signed the solemn covenant of reformation.
18Priest of the House of EzraNehemiah 12:13A leading priest representing the ancestral house of Ezra during the high priesthood of Joiakim.
19Priest of the House of GinnethonNehemiah 12:16A contemporary post-exilic priest who served as the head of the paternal house of Ginnethon.
20The Temple PorterNehemiah 12:25A faithful Levitical gatekeeper stationed to guard the vital supply chambers and thresholds of the temple gates.
21The Processional PrinceNehemiah 12:33An influential leader who marched within the ranks of the great thanksgiving company atop the wall during its formal dedication.